How Do You Fix Squeaky Floorboards?

Most floorboard squeaks come from one board rubbing against the next, or from boards moving on their nails, says Timber Queensland. To fix one, stop the movement: screw the loose board down into the joist from above, or pack the gap between the board and the joist from below, as glue maker Selleys describes.

Below is what causes the noise, how to find it, the fixes from above and below, what to do under carpet, when a squeak is a warning sign, and what a repair costs on the Gold Coast. These are market prices from cost guides, checked on 4 November 2026. They are not a quote from us.

Why do floorboards squeak?

Something is moving that should not be. Timber Queensland's flooring data sheets name two sources of the noise: one board edge moving against another, and boards moving on their nails. They also say a small amount of noise can be expected from most timber floors.

A board usually starts to move for one of these reasons:

• Boards rub at the joints. Tongue and groove boards are made with the tongue a little narrower than the groove, so they fit together. Timber Queensland says that gap should be no more than 0.6 mm. A wider gap lets boards shift under your weight.
• The nails have loosened. Bunnings' Workshop guide says squeaks are likely near the point where a board is nailed to the joist. A loose board often sits slightly higher than the boards around it.
• There is a gap under the board. If the joist has bowed down away from the board, the board flexes into the gap each time you step on it. Bunnings notes that tightening the nails won't fix this one.
• The air has dried out. Timber shrinks when the air is dry and swells when it is humid. Timber Queensland says squeaks are often worse in drier weather, because the joints loosen.

The kind of floor matters too. Timber Queensland says boards laid straight onto joists have more spring underfoot than boards on a slab, so some squeaks are normal in that kind of floor.

Why do my floors squeak more in winter?

Because the air is drier. Timber Queensland says timber floors shrink in dry weather and gaps open between the boards. In humid weather they swell and the gaps close up. On boards 80 mm wide, it says dry-season gaps average about 0.75 mm.

The Gold Coast's air is drier in winter. The Bureau of Meteorology's Coolangatta records show average 3pm humidity of 69% in January and February, falling to 56% in July and August (records from 1993 to 2010).

So a squeak that starts in late winter and fades by summer may just be the boards moving with the weather. The Quote Yard's Queensland subfloor guide says the same about seasonal creaking. If the squeak stays all year, or one spot keeps getting worse, look for a loose board or a gap at the joist.

How do I find where the squeak is coming from?

Walk over the area slowly and press down on small patches. Bunnings suggests using your body weight or a hammer handle, or getting someone else to walk while you listen. Mark the spot with chalk.

Next, find the joists. They run at right angles to the floorboards. Selleys suggests a stud finder to locate where the boards cross the joists. Timber Queensland's flooring data sheet works on joists 450 mm apart, but older homes vary, so check rather than guess.

If you can get under the house, have someone stand on the squeaky board while you watch from below. Selleys says this shows where a raised board is flexing against the joist. You can often see the gap.

How do I fix squeaky floorboards from above?

Secure the loose board to the joist. Bunnings' guide starts with the nails already there: put a nail punch on each nail head near the squeak and tap it to drive the nail in further.

If the board still lifts, add a screw. The Selleys guide describes it like this:

• drill a pilot hole through the board and into the joist
• widen the top of the hole so the screw head sits just below the surface
• drive the screw in while someone stands on the board
• use a screw long enough to go 2 cm into the joist
• fill the hole with wood filler and sand it back

Screws hold better than nails. Simpson Strong-Tie, a maker of building fixings, says screws grip tighter and are less likely to loosen over time.

For a polished floor, This Old House describes a Counter-Snap kit. The screw snaps off below the surface of the board, so only a small hole is left to fill.

If the boards are tight but still squeak where they rub, This Old House suggests talcum powder or powdered graphite worked into the joints. It only helps with rubbing. It does nothing for a loose board.

How do I stop squeaky floorboards under carpet?

You have two choices. Lift the carpet and fix the boards from above, as Selleys suggests. Or use a kit made to work through the carpet.

This Old House describes one of these kits, the Squeeeeek No More. A small stand sits on the carpet over the joist. A special screw goes through the carpet and the floor into the joist, and its head snaps off just under the carpet. The floor gets pulled tight to the joist, and the carpet is left whole.

The screw has to hit a joist, so find the joists first. And if the joist has bowed away from the board, Bunnings says tightening won't fix it. That is a job for underneath.

How do I fix a squeaky floor from underneath?

If your home is built on stumps with room to get under the floor, fixing from below is often easier. The QBCC calls this a suspended floor.

Where the joist has dropped away from the board, fill the gap rather than pulling the board down. Selleys says to spread wood glue on a thin timber wedge and tap it in between the joist and the board. Pick a wedge thin enough to fill the gap without raising the board.

Bunnings' guide does the same job with plastic packers:

• tap a packer into the gap between the board and the joist until it is snug
• add one on the other side of the joist for more support
• screw each packer in place so it can't work loose
• fill any gaps left over with construction adhesive

Go gently. Both guides warn that driving a wedge or packer in too hard will lift the board above it.

When is a squeaky floor a sign of something worse?

When the floor feels springy, soft or saggy, not just noisy. The Quote Yard's Queensland guide says a springy or bouncy area means "a joist has lost section or a bearer has deflected". In plain words, a joist has been weakened or a bearer has bent. One board that moves on its own is usually just a loose fixing.

Two common reasons timber under a floor gets weak are rot and termites. The QBCC says termites are "a problem for homeowners throughout Queensland". Its termite guide for homeowners (April 2024) says the area under a suspended floor is one of the parts of a house most open to termite attack. It also says air needs to flow through under the floor, to discourage termites and rot.

The QBCC advises a yearly inspection by a licensed pest controller. If you find soft or damaged timber, our guide to wood rot or termite damage explains how to tell them apart, and our termite damage repair cost guide covers what the fix costs.

Don't screw a floor down over a sagging joist or bearer. It hides the problem. A carpenter can check the subfloor, and an engineer has the final word if the framing needs more than a like-for-like repair.

What does it cost to fix squeaky floorboards?

None of the cost guides we checked prices a squeak fix as a job of its own. Most are small jobs charged by the hour, so the hourly rate and the minimum charge matter most. The bigger costs come when timber under the floor needs replacing.

The Quote Yard's rates are for south east Queensland. Our guide to carpenter cost per hour explains day rates, call-out fees and fixed prices.

In Queensland, building work valued over $3,300 needs a QBCC licence. A squeak fix won't come close, but a run of joist and board repairs could.

When should I call a carpenter about a squeaky floor?

Most single squeaks are a fair DIY job. Get a carpenter in when:

• you can't find what is moving, or the squeak comes back after a fix
• the floor feels springy, dips or sags
• you can see wet, soft or crumbling timber under the house
• a board is split or damaged and needs replacing
• you don't want to risk marking a polished floor

Floor repairs are part of the carpentry we do across the Gold Coast, from loose boards to replacing timber damaged by rot or termites. See our carpentry work for the repairs we take on.

Where do these prices come from?

Checked on 4 November 2026: What's The Damage (Gold Coast carpenter costs and Gold Coast handyman costs, both updated November 2026) and The Quote Yard (subfloor repairs and ventilation, Queensland, October 2026). Methods from Timber Queensland's Technical Data Sheets 11 and 31 (March 2014), Selleys (how to silence squeaky floor boards, undated), Bunnings Workshop (how to fix a squeaky floor, February 2023), Simpson Strong-Tie Australia (April 2025) and This Old House (how to fix squeaky floors, page dated 2002). Humidity from the Bureau of Meteorology (Coolangatta, 1993 to 2010). Rules and termite advice from the QBCC (protect against termites, March 2024; termite management systems guide, April 2024; when you need a licence, August 2021). We will check the prices again every three months.

See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.